Thanks very much guys for your excellent guidance and for the DEFSTAN. We have bearing grease at work made by Silmid so might be lucky that it might be similar stuff. I have some time yet before replacing the wood as it is still yet to be polished with fine wire wool. But if comes up like the butt has, I shall be well happy. I assume from the comments that the grease is only applied to all external areas of the action that are in contact with the wood? I guess this would also include the socket area when replacing the butt?